Oregon Coast!!!

We just had the most wonderful vacation with my dear and darling family on the Oregon Coast! We wanted to get the MOST possible time with them so we flew to Boise and made the drive to Oregon with the fam. We had lots of fun with pipe cleaners in the car. 9 hours is a long car trip with a 15 month old. We sang about a bazillion songs, we played with finger puppets, play dough, crayons, cars, and horsies, but the best toy by far was my dad's I-pad...as much for Javier and me as for Max and Sammy :) The picture is a little blurry, but I think it captures the emotion. The drive was actually so fun! I loved getting all that time to talk my Daddy's ear off and catch up.

My Mom and Dad and all 6 of their kids and all of our families stayed in one big beach house and we had SOOOOOO MUCH FUN!! I loved seeing the kids all entertain each other and enjoy each other so much! They are all getting so big and they are just the most sweet and loving children in all the world! Max and Sammy were so lucky to have so many cousins their age and older who were ready to play with them and help them and just make them feel so loved! These duplos were in constant use! The big kids would build big elaborate amazing structures and Max and some of the other little kids would try so hard not to break them...but they could only last so long.

My family has been going to the Oregon Coast at least every other year since I was a newborn, and it is still our favorite place in the whole world! The trip has become sort of ritualistic where we all feel like we have to do all of our favorite things or else we won't feel like we have really gotten our Oregon fix! But we also did lots of new things this time and had so much fun!

Old tradition: We always take lots of long walks on the beach. Max loved his cousin David so much this trip he just wanted to hold his hand every minute!

New tradition: We went to a new beach this year that I think may be the most beautiful place I have ever actually seen in my life. Sammy was asleep when we got there so I stayed with him in the car and took a little nap for a while. I think it may because I was still a little hazy when we finally went to meet everybody, but as I walked over the hill and across the half mile or so of sand to where everybody was, I almost felt as if I had died and gone to heaven (actually). Maybe it was because the beach was completely silent, or because it had perfectly white sand, or because it was kind of a cove so it was sheltered from wind, or because the water was totally still and blue and in movies when they show heaven it always looks like that. But it was fun to find all my family that I love so much there waiting for me. It could have been heaven. The next few pictures are from there.

New tradition: Sophie and I dyed our hair! That was super exciting! I've never actually died my hair before and I think I needed a few sisters and a mom to talk me into it. I like it so much better now though so I'm glad they did!

Old tradition: We do some puzzles! Max and David had so much fun with their Grandpa and I was pretty surprised that they could actually do it! Another day the big kids were all doing puzzles and they were so sweet to leave out a handful of pieces and then let the little kids put in the last ones. so sweet!

New tradition: We had a race! It was so much fun! My two amazing sisters-in-law are both hard core awesome runners! They had this idea and it was awesome! Everybody did it, even though it was hard. I was so proud of everybody, especially Max who ran a whole mile without stopping! I was so surprised he could do that! And Javier who ran with him said that when he saw the end he kept saying, "There's the end! I just need to go a little farther!" So sweet!

Old tradition: No trip to Oregon would be complete without one (or three) trips to the Tillamook cheese factory where they have the most delicious ice cream in the world! Sticky bun is gooood.

Old tradition: We love going crabbing! It is so fun to watch the kids with the crabs because they are so excited and terrified! I didn't get to do this this time because I wasn't feeling good that day, but Javier took some great pictures!

Old tradition: We always go for a hike. Oregon must be one of the most beautiful places in the world! And it is a fun time to talk to each other in smaller groups as we walk! Javier was like HE-man on this hike because he carried both the boys almost the whole time and didn't even hardly seem phased! I think his working out is seriously paying off because the man is buff! Which works out well for me because I think I am about as weak as I have ever been :)

Sammy had lots of fun!

Here's me new hair color. Arghh!

New tradition: Hair do night! It was so fun! The best part was probably having the little girls play with our hair. They are all so darling, I just wanted to hug them!

So... yes. I think I basically have the most awesome family in the whole world! I am so lucky to be 4th in that family and to have had 3 of the most stalwart, fabulous, fun-loving brothers and sister in the world to look up to all me life and try to emulate and ask all my life questions to. And now my precious little 17-year old sisters are absolutely my heros too! Who am I kidding, I've been looking up to them since they were half my height! Then there's my sisters in law and brother in law that I have soooo much respect for! before I start gushing too crazy I better end this post. I'll just say I love my family! And Max and Sammy love Boo!